Christmas Highlights

My Christmas festivities started Saturday the 22nd. First up was lunch with Melanie & Melissa we think this was our fifth year of getting together to celebrate Melanie's birthday & Christmas.

 Birthday cards is kind of our thing and doodling on the envelope is kind of my thing. We went to Oregano's for lunch something we hadn't done in a long time so that was fun. I also got some awesome gifts! But what really got me in the Christmas spirit was my friend Melissa who decided to do the 26 acts of Kindness to honor the Newton victims. She left a hundred percent tip for our waiter, and giving was always such a part of Christmas growing up it inspired me to find more ways to serve those around me.

That night was our families adult family dinner/white elephant gift exchange. We started the night off by going to Zupa's.

After every came back to my place for our white elephant gift exchange. Do you know why it is called a white elephant gift exchange? I read about this in a book, I think but since I can not remember where here is the Wikipedia version.  The term derives from the story that the kings of Siam (now Thailand) were accustomed to make a present of one of these animals to courtiers who had rendered themselves obnoxious, in order to ruin the recipient by the cost of its maintenance. 

Mark showed up to my house in his ugly sweater, maybe next year I will join in the ugly sweater fun. But they are not easy to come by. Mark has us play a game they played over the radio by playing songs from movies and everyone guessing what movies they were from. My brother Brett and sister in law Angie were my real competition but my dad guessed the Cars song and we won!

 My dad surprised me with such a sweet gift. He came up with a bag that held two hats and told me to pick one. I grabbed the red one and he put the blue one on. My mom then explained while looking through a catalog he saw these "Sherlock" hats and said we need to get these for me & Connie to wear while we watch Sherlock & Downton Abbey. I think my dad may be the cutest dad in the world.

This is a cutting board made by my brother Ryan that I got at the gift exchange. Isn't it pretty? It is actually even prettier in person. Ryan has an etsy shop if you want to see some other cool ones. 

I spent Christmas eve over at Debbie's along with my parents and younger brother Eric. I slept over and did Christmas morning with Debbie's family. Look at the journals William & Gracie designed and help wrap for me.

 Here is Joe Joe playing with the train I got him!

Then it was time to head out to my parents for Christmas breakfast. Here are all the stocking, my mom does not mess around!

 I decided to make ornament tags to go along with my gifts this year, thank you pinterest.

 Here is my mom opening the gift we got for her & my dad, wireless headphones for the tv.

 That evening Debbie, Russ & I went and saw Les Miserables, it was beautiful and even better the second time around though even harder to not sing along with. Also did anyone else find themselves almost clapping after so many songs? I am just a little sad that A Little Fall of Rain is not on the soundtrack.

High Fives All Around

My good friend Lauren was in town over spring break and we had a lot of fun times. First we went to dinner at La Grande Orange and while walking to the restaurant Lauren brought up Save By The Bell and we literally high fived over the fact that it was now on Netflix's. We then discussed the origins of the high five and how much we enjoyed high fives.
We also had a craft night and I turned this tea cup into a pin cushion. I didn't see it on Pinterest I saw it on Tumblr but did pin it so it is another pin for the win.

Lauren also wanted to have a bonfire, which we did I only have pictures of the coals we pulled away from the fire so we could roast marshmallows with out melting our faces off.

I know it is hard to see but we made mini smores with vanilla wafers, they were excellent!

I have been in love with this ETSY shop for awhile but I don't really do the whole shopping online thing especially if I can make it myself but I just love the design of her stuff I had to buy it.  

Last Sunday we had some unusual weather (meaning it wasn't warm & sunny) come our way and heard it had snowed up north (Payson, Arizona it is an hour and a half drive). My sister Debbie called me Monday morning and told me her family, my mom and two of my sister in laws and their kids were all going up to the snow. I took the day off and we all went and had a snow day. It was even snowing for part of the drive and it was fun for the kids to see it snow.

We had  a blast building snowmen, having snow ball fights and eating snow. 

This past Saturday my mom's neighborhood had a community yard sale. Debbie I took our parents golf cart and drove around and found some steals! I had told my mom forever ago to watch for a beach cruiser with a basket for me. Finding this bike was a dream come true! It has a basket for my library books!!!

I also found this red purse and the lady selling it said oh and it comes with this yellow bag. I had no idea what a Fendi bag was. But she told Debbie and I how she got it in the Bahamas after winning a big sum of money gambling. I now know what it feels like to own a thousand dollar purse, it feels a lot like owning a three dollar purse. 

My nieces got some dress up and I loved see them walking around as a butterfly and a kitty, best quarter they ever spent. 

William got a snorkel and was determined to use it Grandma told him he could put his feet in knowing he would see how cold it still was. He ended up putting more than his feet in and after I made his wet hair into a mohawk/fohawk.

Pinning and Winning

Actually I did not pin this on Pinterest, my sister Debbie did. I didn't like the picture they choose to make so I didn't pin it.

Source: themetapicture.com via Debbie on Pinterest

But I did make my own and used it to make the cover of Mimi's book. See I promised I would eventually post about the cover.

I used a pen to carve my take out box.

I also just used a sponge brush to paint. 

If you put enough paint on then you only need to lightly press the paper on. If you want to use again later, wash out the excess paint you won't want it to dry in the grooves. 

Tied To The 90's

Do you guys have folders of pictures on your computer of things you have found on the internet and wanted to save? You know things like...

 or this

(No this did not come from a folder called boyfriends, it is just called new folder)

Well the point of Pinterest is while you are perusing the internet and see something you like you just click the little pin on your toolbar and it will save it (or pin it) to one of your boards. I only wish I had realized others could see my boards first, I may have to make a secret one. 

While I was perusing Pinterest today I saw someone had created a board called Forever 90's. So many things bringing me back to a funny funny time. I want to know what some of the first things that come to mind when you see these images.

Hotel - Motel - Holiday Inn

Man I love this movie & the soundtrack. I never had a huge fan girl crush on Leo like some of my friends. But I did get extra credit for seeing it.

Clueless, one of the best things to happen to the 90's

One of my favorite parts of the movie.

"Melrose Place is a really good show"
Ethan Hawke I still love you.

Speaking of 90's crushes I was so in love with Preston Meyer from Can't Hardly Wait

"But then she reaches in her bag and pulls out a strawberry Pop-Tart - the very same breakfast pastry I was consuming at that moment! What was I to do? How was I to proceed?"

So many more great things from the Forever 90's
Encino Man 
My So Called Life
90210
DMB 
My friend from high school who was a huge Dave Matthews fan posted DMB the other day I was instantly brought back to some fun times we had together.
No Doubt
A few years ago we were playing Rock Band and Spiderwebs came on & Debbie came in from the other room dancing and pushed who was ever singing out of the way and rock the song.